What Do You Think?

Earlier this week, we asked our Facebook friends: “Who is a woman you look up to and why?”

Here are a couple sample comments – find more in the August edition of Prospect Magazine, which hits the streets July 31.

– Scott Sharrock: My mother. She came from the hills in

Grass Valley, and married a man, my father, from Broken Bow, Okla., who lived “The Grapes of Wrath” traveling here. A loving woman with a profound sense of right and wrong. She passed unexpectedly when I was 11 and a half, and left a great void in me. For only having her for such a short time her strength is evident in me today, as I still draw upon her wisdom and strength to guide me in this life. In 11 and a half years she saved my entire future life. To her my love pours to this day. Bessie Louise Sharrock.

– Cyndi Mauro: Betty Ford. In 1974 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her candor brought breast cancer into the public sphere. After her diagnosis and treatment, the number of women getting breast exams increased dramatically, as did the number of women willing to talk about their own diagnoses. The silence around the disease had ended—thanks in large part to her.